Everyone talks about how the tween and teenage periods (basically from 11 to 18) can be a trying time for parents due to the puberty-triggered wild mood swings of their progeny. But, because it’s so thoroughly discussed, I felt ready to tackle the unpredictability of my two tweenagers. And, so far, we are riding the wave fairly smoothly. However, one side effect of all these bodily changes that doesn’t get enough press, and thus for which I was woefully unprepared, is the smell! Yowza! Pheromones must be going through a trial run at this phase, because man, the human race should have died out a long time ago if attraction to the opposite sex is based on THAT smell! The feet, the armpits, the extra body hair, the constant sweating…ICK!!!

So, where am I going with all of this? Laundry. We are a very active family: Pete and I both run; I hike a lot and practice yoga; and the kids are all involved in sports (and are going through puberty…see above). We have a lot of tech-wicking athletic apparel, which, I’m sure any runner knows, gets pretty funky smelling even after washing. The odors emanating from our laundry basket were so awful, that I would routinely have to rewash whole loads due to the horrible, residual stench. But even that didn’t work. Nothing was getting rid of the smell! Knowing I could not go on like this for another decade (my littlest is only 7), I made it my mission to find a detergent that works. I tested four detergents and/or detergent additives and have shared my opinions on them below. Hope it helps!

Product 1: FEBREZE IN-WASH ODOR ELIMINATOR

Febreze In-wash Odor Eliminator was the first thing I tried, and with fairly good results. You add this product to the detergent well along with your regular detergent, adjusting the amount depending on how stinky your clothes are. I assure you; I always used the maximum amount!

Pros: It did the trick maybe 85% of the time and didn’t leave an overly perfumey smell on the clothes.

Cons: There were still some clothes that had a lingering odor, at least some of the time. Also, unless I ordered it on-line (which, I didn’t like doing because of the impacts of shipping large, heavy things…my own issues, I admit), I had to buy it at Wal-Mart. I really, really dislike Wal-Mart, so every time I went, I would buy the store’s whole supply. I felt kind of silly with eight bottles of Odor Eliminator at check out! Plus, it’s not cheap ($8.84/50oz at Wal-Mart), especially since you have to buy it in addition to your regular detergent.

Overall Rating: B

Product 2:  IN-WASH SCENT BOOSTERS

In-Wash Scent Boosters are added directly to the washing drum with your laundry, again in the amount you deem necessary. There are numerous products like this on the market now, with each major brand having its own version in a variety of scents. I tried Downy UnStopables Fresh Scent.

Pros: These products are readily available at all major big box stores and supermarkets. And, if you like strong, flowery smelling laundry, this is the product for you. It definitely masked the nasty smells.

Cons: My biggest dislike about this product is the strong, artificial smell it left on my clothes. I’m kind of a toxic chemical freak, who believes that if you can smell your clothes from half way across the room, there are probably some synthetic, not-necessarily-good-for-you particles free floating in your environment**. Again, I may have some irrational issues with this kind of thing, so if this doesn’t bother you, go for it!

Downy Unstopables is available for purchase at Amazon.com.

**Meyer’s has an environmentally friendly version of this product that I have not had a chance to try yet.

Overall Rating: C

Product 3: WIN: HIGH PERFORMANCE SPORTS DETERGENT

WIN and WIN GREEN High Performance Sports Detergents are used in place of your regular detergent.

Pros: It really did the trick. I used this product exclusively on our laundry until the bottles ran out, and it left even our stinkiest clothes smelling normal, without any obnoxious, over-powering flowery smell. I also really like that it came in a Fragrance & Dye-Free version.

Cons: You can only buy it on-line and it’s not cheap. On Amazon, it’s $10.95/ 32 ounces, which works out to about 34 cents an ounce. If you compare this to a major brand like Tide, where you pay around 11 cents an ounce at WalMart, it’s pretty pricey, especially if you have a large family that creates a lot of laundry.

Another down side, though it may seem silly, is the cap. There are two caps on the bottle, a white one that keeps it closed, and a bigger, colored one for dispensing the liquid. Most detergent bottles have a dispensing cap system (a lip and well on both the cap and the bottle) that is designed to catch any remaining residual liquid back into the bottle with very little mess. Not so with this product. The cap is just a cap, slightly bigger than the neck of the bottle, so that when you go to put the cap back on after pouring the detergent into your machine, the remaining liquid pours out all over your hand and the bottle. For some reason, this really bugged me.

WIN Sports Detergent is available at Amazon.com.

Overall Rating: A-

Product 4: SWEATX SPORT

SweatX Sport was my favorite of the four products tested. Like the WIN above, this product replaces your regular detergent.

Pros: SweatX really got the smells out and left a fresher scent than the WIN without being artificial or overbearing. I started using this product in the summer, when we not only had to deal with sweaty clothes, but constantly damp ones due to continual use of our in ground pool. Kids, for some reason, are incapable of hanging wet clothes to dry, thus by the time I found suits and towels, they had been festering in damp heaps for who knows how long. The SweatX detergent was even good at tackling the resulting nasty mildewy smells in these loads.

Cons: The real drawback to this product is the price! It was, by far, the most expensive of the four. I bought mine at Dick’s Sporting Goods for $22.99 for a 45 oz. bottle. Yikes! That’s over 50 cents an ounce. You can get it slightly cheaper at Amazon, but not much.

And, regarding the cap (clearly an issue for me), it wasn’t bad. It doesn’t have a well like most major brands, but at least there isn’t a double cap system that makes no sense. Plus, the liquid in this product is much thinner than the WIN, so it pours back into the bottle a lot easier if any detergent is left over.

One last con, there is no dye/fragrance free version that I am aware of.

Overall Rating: A-

So, there you have it. Admittedly, I only tried four products, but feel I got a good sense of what was out there: products added with your detergent, products added directly in with the clothes, and detergent replacements. Unfortunately, the products that cost the most were the ones that did the best job. This is one area, however, at least for my family, where I feel like the money is worth it. I needed to rewash whole loads of clothes with my regular detergent, which wasted money, energy, and time. While I feel I need to use the odor-eliminating products on every load, you could make the bottles last longer if you only use it on select loads, like sweaty sports clothes.

A side note on liquid fabric softener:  I read somewhere that liquid fabric softener retains odors on clothes, especially synthetic wicking fabrics. This seemed counter-intuitive to me, since my fabric softener has a really nice lavender scent, but I decided to test run a few loads without it.  I have noticed the laundry odor is not as strong since I’ve stopped using it, even if I don’t use any special odor-eliminating products.

As an alternative to ward off static, I’ve started using wool dryer balls, which seems to do the trick. And, as an added bonus, you can add your favorite essential oils directly to the balls to further improve your laundry’s potential! The balls are re-useable, all-natural and chemical-free…win-win-win!  You can find them at Amazon.com.

If there are any effective odor-eliminating products I’ve missed, or you have any other suggestions for improving laundry odors, please leave a comment. Thanks!

A perfect example of where swapping insoles saved a shoe for me was the Newton Energy. The included insole was too thick under the heel, and my heel would not lock down properly as a result. The insole was also too soft – overkill in a shoe with an already soft midsole. Swapping out the factory insole for a thin, light alternative turned the Energy from a shoe I’d hesitate to run much in to one of my favorite shoes of 2013.

As a shoe reviewer, swapping insoles is easy for me since I have a bunch to choose from. However, I’ve been asked a number of times about where to buy a thin, flat insole to use for this purpose, and it has been surprisingly difficult to find good options. Most replacement insoles for sale are heavily structured with thick cushioning and pronounced arch support – not ideal when the goal might actually be to increase space inside a shoe. Running on a bare footbed with the insole removed is an option, but the footbed can sometimes be rough or have exposed stitching.

After a bit of digging around, and a trial offer from an insole manufacturer, I’ve come up with a few options that are decent.

Inov-8 Replacement Insoles

Inov-8 sells insoles that are completely flat, firm, and have no arch support (the insole does curl up a bit on each side, but that is to assist with placement in the shoe I think). The insoles come in two thicknesses: 3mm and 6mm. I purchase pairs of both and measure the 3mm version to be 3mm in the forefoot, 4mm in the heel. The 6mm seems to be uniform thickness at heel and forefoot. For comparative purposes, the included insole in the Saucony Mirage 4 measures about 5.5mm heel, 4mm forefoot, and that in the Brooks PureFlow 3 is a uniform 5.5mm from front to back.

The 3mm insole appears very similar to the insole in the popular Inov-8 F-Lite 195 shoe (gray insole in photo below). Shape is also similar enough to the Saucony Mirage and Brooks PureFlow insoles that they swap into those shoes without a problem.

Left-to-Right: Inov-8 3mm Footbed, Inov-8 F-Lite 195 insole, Saucony Mirage 4 insole, Brooks PureFlow 3 insole, Inov-8 6mm Footbed

Top-to-Bottom: Inov-8 3mm Footbed, Inov-8 6mm Footbed, Saucony Mirage 4 insole, Brooks PureFlow 3 insole

The Inov-8 insoles are available for $10 at Zappos in the US. I’ve had a hard time tracking them down outside the US. Amazon UK has them (seems Amazon US does not), so you might check the Amazon shop for your country.

Ortholite Fusion Insole

If you’re looking for a relatively thin, flat insole that has a bit more cush, the Ortholite Fusion might be worth a shot (Disclosure: Ortholite sent me a free pair to try out). Ortholite makes insoles for a lot of shoes on the market, you may even have a pair yourself. It’s a much softer insole than the Inov-8 models – almost has a memory-foam like feel to it. I measure the Fusion between 4.5-5.0 mm at both the heel and forefoot (hard to get it exact since it’s really soft). In the image below they look a bit thicker than the Inov-8 6mm insole, but I think they thicken a bit along the margins where I trimmed them.

Unlike the Inov-8 footbeds, the Ortholites have a bit of soft arch support built in, but it’s not terribly obtrusive given how soft and flexible they are.

Left-to-Right: Inov-8 6mm Footbed, Inov-8 3mm Footbed, Ortholite Fusion Insole

Top-to-Bottom: Inov-8 3mm Footbed, Inov-8 6mm Footbed, Ortholite Fusion Insole

The Ortholite insoles do seem to have a bit more girth, and they take up a bit more space inside a shoe, but if you have a shoe that runs like a brick with the included insole they may make things a bit more runable. You also have to cut them to fit your shoes so you can remove as much material as necessary to squeeze them in. I simply used an existing insole as a template and traced around it, then cut the margins off to make the Ortholite the same size and shape.

The Ortholite Fusion insoles are available in the US for $20 per pair at Amazon via Ortholite. I’m not sure why they’ve opted to sell this way, but you have to select a size on Amazon, then click on where it says “Available from these sellers” to purchase direct from Ortholite.

Other Options

Merrell sells an insole that comes in 3 thicknesses: 7mm, 5mm, 2mm. I have not tried them myself, but seems like it might be another decent option.

I’ve been trying to get Skechers to sell their insoles separate from their shoes – I swap Skechers insoles around frequently. Some people have had bunching issues with the thinner Skechers insoles, but has not been a problem for me.

If you have any other suggestions, please share in the comments!

I was recently sent a trial pair of YakTrax Pro’s a few weeks ago to review here on Runblogger (full disclosure – I received no payment in return for this review – just a free sample of the product), and given the lack of snow here in New Hampshire this winter, I only just recently had the chance to put them to use. If you’re not familiar with YakTrax, here’s a description of the product from the YakTrax website:

“Yaktrax have a unique, spikeless, patented coil design, unlike other products on the market.

The Yaktrax Pro will instantly give you better traction, confidence and safety on packed snow or ice. Move about naturally with the same solid grip that you are accustomed to on dry surfaces. Walk or run as you normally would and experience stability on ice and snow like you have never felt before.

Made with high strength, abrasion resistant 1.4 mm steel coils and heavy duty natural rubber material, the Yaktrax Pro easily conforms to the shape of your boot or shoe. With its patented SkidLock coil design, the Yaktrax Pro provides 360 degrees of traction on packed snow and ice and can be worn in temperatures as low as -41° Fahrenheit”

On Tuesday, we had our first decent snow in quite awhile, with ultimate accumulations of about 6 inches.  It wasn’t much by typical NH winter standards, but this winter it was about as close to a snowstorm as we’ve had. With about an inch of snow accumulated on the ground, I figured it would be an ideal time to give the YakTrax a trial run. A fresh snow covering can be a challenge for most running shoes, espcially if they lack an aggressive tread. Thus, I laced up my Brooks Launch (which have an essentially flat tread), strapped on the Yaks, and headed out for a 3 mile run with my dog Jack.  Below is a video compilation from this run, with my review of the YakTrax, as well as some more general thoughts on running in conditions that keep most others at home, warm on the couch.

Runblogger Runcast #10 – Review of YakTrax Pro from Pete Larson on Vimeo.
Living in New Hampshire, snow is a constant in most years, and finding ways to stay active despite the snow is sometimes a challenge. In this Runcast I take a pair of YakTrax Pro foot-coverings for a spin during a snowstorm. My initial impressions – they’re very comfortable, and provide great traction on both ice and powdery snow. I’d highly recommend the YakTrax Pro if you’re looking for a way to get out for a run when there’s snow on the ground.

Purchasing Options

Yaktrax comes in two models – the Pro and the Walker.  Both are reasonably priced – the Pro can be had for around $20.00 or less on Amazon.com. Below are links to both.

Links Related to this Episode

-For more information about the YakTrax, you can visit their website here: http://www.yaktrax.com.

-You can also read my review of the Brooks Launch shoes that I wore in this video.

-I’ve posted several other Runcasts related to winter running – you can view a list of all previous Runblogger Runcasts here.

So what exactly is the i-gotU device? Basically, it’s a typical GPS logger that functions in a manner similar to the Garmin Forerunner. When you turn it on, it syncs with satellites and records a GPS track from wherever you happen to be traveling (by foot, car, etc.). I should point out that the i-gotU is not being marketed as a direct competitor to the Forerunner as a sports tracking device, although it certainly could be used to record runs and track run data (more on this later). The target market for the i-gotU seems to be travelers who want to be able to easily geotag their photos, and for this purpose it does a very good job.

Here’s how it works. The first step is to make sure that the time/date on your digital camera matches that on the i-gotU device (this can be done via the @trip software included with the device). Next, you turn on the i-gotU when you are ready to start recording trip data. As long as the device is on, you will record your location at intervals that can be tweaked in the @trip software (useful for when adjusting for car vs. foot travel). With the device on, you can use you camera to shoot as many images as you’d like, and when you’re done, you simply turn off the i-gotU and sync it with the @trip program to download the GPS data. The program will ask if you have any photos that you want to geotag using the GPS information, you choose the ones you want from the appropriate location on your computer, and it syncs them by their time-stamp to a location on your GPS track. The result is a Google Map with your GPS track overlaid and your photo locations marked by little icons. You can click on the individual icons and view the photo taken at each location – pretty slick! Below is an @trip screen capture from a photo-run that I did in August:

Another cool feature of the i-gotU is that you can upload your GPS/photo tracks to the @trip website and share your photo-trips with anyone you’d like to provide with the link. Here’s an example of one that I posted from a trip to Maine I took earlier this summer: http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/28504.

All-in-all, I’m impressed with the i-gotU as a device for geotagging photos and recording GPS tracks. The GPS data seems to be fairly accurate (certainly fine for casual trips), and the photo geotags are right on. Although I haven’t used it for this purpose, this device would be ideal for taking on a hike and recording photo-locations along the trail. It’s small (I’ve been attaching it to my RoadID wristband or Camelbak straps), acquires a signal quickly, and the software allows you to edit your GPS tracks if needed. One small quibble I have is that the lights that alert you to when it is on can be hard to see in the sunlight, and at times I’ve wondered whether or not it was still turned on (there’s no LCD screen or anything like that – just a button and two lights). If you’re simply looking for a device to record trips and photos, the i-gotU would be a good choice for the price (only $69.95 at Amazon.com).

Since this is a running blog, I want to finish this review with a few comments about the i-gotU as a tool for runners. I’m a huge fan of the Garmin Forerunner wristwatches, and at this point the i-gotU is not capable of competing with these as a training device. I don’t fault Mobile Action for this since that’s not really the target market for this product anyway. It lacks any kind of LCD screen, and the @trip software does not provide much in the way of statistics beyond distance, altitude, and speed (in MPH or KPH rather than the more typically used minutes/mile). The reason I mention this aspect of the device, however, is that it can do more than one would realize if only using the @trip software. One of the options in @trip is to export trip data as a GPX file. It turns out that GPX files can be uploaded into programs like Sportracks, and this will allow you to mine a lot more run data from the i-gotU device than would be possible in @trip. It’s still clunkier than using a Garmin, and the lack of an LCD display means no real-time data, but if you are on a tight budget and just want to record your data for later examination, the i-gotU costs half of what a Garmin Forerunner will cost you. I don’t know how hard it would be to add a display to a future model, but a competitor to the Garmin for GPS logging of run data would be welcome, and could have the potential to bring the Garmin prices down to a more affordable level.

About a year ago my wife found the item pictured above on the internet. It’s called the Visionaire Peter Potty Toddler Urinal, and it has to be one of the most ingenious inventions I have ever seen (and the reviews on Amazon back this up). Now, a year later I came across the Peter Potty on my Amazon Wish List (yes, I am a huge fan of Amazon), and am very tempted to give it a try (I mean, for my son to give it a try, really…). My only concerns are whether or not he is too big for it now, and how much cleaning it requires, but the latter can’t be any worse than the work currently required to clean the toilet seat, toilet tank, floor, walls, magazine rack, and anything else within a 3 foot radius of the commode. Anyway, if I take the plunge with the Peter Potty (no pun intended), I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes (when my son uses it of course…though it is named after me).

Update 4/5/09: Now, I never really expected to be updating this post, but thanks to my sister I have to do so. She checked out the Peter Potty and informed me that Amazon has another great potty tool that might better suit the needs of our five-year old. It’s called Flippee the Toilet Shield, and as the name implies, Flippee is a big plastic shield that flips up and down to block any potential messes. I have to give the inventors credit – not only is the name awesome, but the logo is hilarious (see above – I love that turtle), and Flippee himself might just work, though he has a really awful job when you think about it. If nothing else, go to Amazon and read the reviews – they’re really good for a laugh! You can see Flippee in action below…

Update 7/1/09: Since I originally posted this, I now am the proud owner of a Flippee, and I’m happy to say that it works as advertised. It fits nicely on the toilet, stays out of the way when it folds down, and creates an effective blocking shield when my son is doing his business. After finishing, he enjoys spraying it down with a water bottle for a quick clean. Now if only I can get him to remember to use it on a consistent basis…maybe a height detecting automatic flip-up feature could be incorporated into a future release???

Below are links to both of these items on Amazon.com.

My first step after booting up the software was to create a profile for my Mii and to run through a Wii fitness test. Upon starting the test, I was introduced to the animated balance board. This little B-Board character has a lot of charm, and my kids instantly fell in love with its high-pitched voice. I sometimes catch my son playing in his room mumbling “measuring….measuring….all done” to himself (sadly, I have caught myself doing the same…). Despite its bubbly personality, the balance board was unforgiving in its assessment of my physical condition.

After finishing it measurements, B-Board informed me that my center of balance was tilted to the right (are my legs unequal in length, or is my body lopsided ala Sloth in the Goonies???). Next, after weighing me and calculating my BMI, I was told that I was overweight, and I had to cringe as I watched my little Wii Mii promptly plump up around the midsection. I knew that I had put on some weight over the winter, but to watch the pounds instantaneously added to the waistline of my formerly trim Mii had the desired effect of providing instant motivation. Although I realize that BMI has some drawbacks as a measure of weight/health (e.g., it is only based on height and weight, and does not take into account relative muscularity or body frame size), I know that I could stand to lose a few pounds, and thus the depiction of my Mii is not entirely inaccurate.

I’m now determined to get my Mii down to his formerly trim and healthy self. He has two little Mii’s of his own to play with and care for after all, and they always stand on either side of him in the Wii Fit plaza. This determination exists even though I realize that it is my own body that will have to make this change happen. This is the great trick that the Wii Fit and Wii Sports both accomplish – they make you active without really knowing it in order to achieve video game rewards. For someone like me who can waste hours playing a more conventional game to earn rewards or unlock new levels, this is pure genius.

As a final step in my baseline fitness test, I completed some simple balance tests to finalize a calculation of my Wii Fit Age, which turned out to be some 10-15 years older than my real age. I’m not sure how exactly this age is calculated, but I was immediately skeptical of its value. It seems unlikely that an estimate of “Fitness Age” could be accurate if only based on BMI, weight, and a few balance tests. Having run almost 1000 miles last year, I would hope that I am in better health than that, otherwise I should just hang up my shoes right now. The unreliability of this “Fitness Age” measure was confirmed the next night when it dropped to match my real age. It is unlikely that one night on the Wii Fit could restore 10-15 years to my health, though that would be quite a selling point for this product! Needless to say, the “Fitness Age” measure seems largely useless and I have stopped wasting my time in having it calculated during each fitness test.

Despite my problems with the “Fitness Age” measurement, the balance tests involved in calculating fitness age are really challenging, and I wish you could access them as part of the training component of the Wii Fit package. In fact, they are more interesting and effective than some of the actual balance games because they give great feedback on your stability with little red tracings of your exact center of balance during each test. Some of the tests try to throw you off with visual and auditory tricks, thus requiring you to really focus and concentrate to maintain your balance. One test in particular requires you to stand on one foot while maintaining balance in an increasingly narrow middle strip of the board. Every time the strip narrows, the audio track increases its tempo, and one time I was so distracted by the increasing pace of the audio track that I fell off of the board (thankfully, I was alone at the time). This really forces you to block out external stimuli while concentrating on balance, and is a very effective tool for increasing awareness of body position. Unfortunately, you cannot choose this “on demand” as a training module, and it seems to only randomly appear when doing the “Fitness Age” balance tests.

My hope is to begin analyzing selected training modules in more detail in subsequent posts, but I figured I would start with some first impressions after a week of use:

1. The balance board is an incredible piece of technology. I am continually amazed at the sensitivity of the Wii remotes and their ability to effectively track my movements, and the balance board works just as well, if not better. It can pick up the slightest deviation in my balance, and it is unforgiving if you try to overcompensate. The scale and weight/BMI tracking functions alone almost justify the price of the Wii Fit package.

2. Yoga and Strength Games: These exercises are great, and seeing how much my body wobbles while trying to hold a Tree Pose is really cool, and a bit frightening. Unfortunately Yoga is a bit difficult to do in my basement since I would have to put my arms through the ceiling to perform many of the poses properly. I haven’t really spent much time with these yet, but I see some good potential.

3. Balance Games: The balance games are fun, though I don’t necessarily see a whole lot of replay value. I can head soccer balls for a few rounds, but then it becomes kind of boring. Same goes for the Ski slalom and the Ski jump, though these have a bit more replay value since thy allow you to set more realistic records to try to beat. The tilt board marble game is challenging, though I have only tried it once and will have to spend a bit more time with it before rendering a verdict. I found the tight rope walk awkward and difficult, and probably will not use it much. The Bubble River game is quite challenging and has potential, but I’ve only tried it once so far. The rest have yet to be unlocked.

4. Aerobics/Cardio: Getting an aerobic workout with the Wii Fit will take some creativity. I have read a lot about the Hula Hoop game being a good workout, but I have trouble with the motion (maybe it’s a guy thing), and don’t foresee myself using it regularly. Step aerobics is fun, but for someone with reasonable fitness base it does not provide much of a workout. Adding some height to the balance board may help with this, and I may try this at some point for kicks. The running modules get your heart pumping, and seeing yourself synced on the screen while running is pretty cool. However, I find running in place to be both difficult and painful (my feet begin to ache almost immediately). I have come up with a potential solution that may ultimately make this my my favorite Wii Fit activity, but I will save details on that for a future post.

In summary, the Wii Fit is fun, but getting a good workout requires some creativity. The body tracking feature is fantastic, and after a week of Wiiing and a little outdoor running, here is the change in my body weight (note – the two low values were taken first thing in the morning – confirming that my weight does fluctuate by about 2.5 pounds daily depending on when I take the measurement):